The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-02

pie which we prove to you to have exertei tho
greatest influence in working out the destiny
of the English nation. The system we speak
Of Is the jury system. It Is true that this jury
that IL has none, for no work Of human lant
nor any human Institution exists that has ne
faults The jury system was formed by man
and like him has many and grierons faults
yet with all this we claim thay It. Is the only
system that comes nearest to melting on; Jus
tice TO all. Says Blackstone 1t comes nehres
to the impartiality Of heaven than any nthel
form OF trial known. THIS system of trial !:
on the globe, and is considered the greatest
form of trial known, and forms one OF the
chief features of n government.
Now, sirs, we mean to show to You ina: thls
institution Is Of Anglo-Saxon origin. 20 dc
so we will quote you paragraph from
Welsh's history OF the English people. Says
he, "1n the earliest days of the Anglo.SaNol
people each crime was held TO have been com
inltted by all who were related TO the doer o
IT. and against all who were related TO the suf
ferpr-from this sense OF the value OF the fam
lily tie sprung up the rudimepts OF En9lish
justice. So strong was this family tie that tn!
kinsman of the accused were his judges, anu
by their oath he stands or falls" In theil
British homes these judges were fixed mum
ber, and thus was planted the germ from
which the present Jury system Snssb sprnns prUns
makes almost the Same statement MS Welsh
does.
We claim now, gentlemen, that this fac,
alone Is sufficient for proving our side of I'm, tne
Of trial ever formed by man, and so far as we
know, the greatest that ever will be formed,
has noequal. Different nations have resorteo
10 various forms, and after repeated failures
have come 10 the conclusion that the jury
system is the only means Of trial BY which
justice may be meted out to all.
1t may be claimed by our opponents that
the iury system was of Norman French ori.
0in flng hppn n discussion
this subject, and NIL Of them have acknowl-
edged In the end that the Anglo-SaSons were
the originators Of Ii. Welsh, In his develop
ment or English literature and language, says
that the Jury system was established by
Ethelrcd II, an AnglO-SaXOn King, and this,
too, prior to the conquest OF England by the
Norman-French.
Now, sirs, we wish you to notice that point.
We reier you to Welsh and Greene as our AL.
thorities. and they are always accepted rs atl.
thorty on such points.
Our opponents will tell you and will even
boast that the Norman-French excelled the
AnsloSaXons in architecture. We acknowl.
edge that the Norman architecture was more
developed thaIi that of the SaxOns, but at the
same time we claim that the fnct that one M.
tion excels another in architecture Is no proof
of its influence over nation. either In lis lit
erature government or It's habits. We soy
that architecture is developed as nation ad'
vances.
Fo. example, look at our own UnitedS States.
The log hut was always their plan OF build
Ing. hut now after the lapse of nearly three
hundred years, what do we see? What n con.
trast we see between the palaces of to-day and
the log huts OF our forefathers. The nation
has ad vanced and as 1t advanced Its archltec-
ture was developed, and to-day the architec..
ture OF the United States Is equal to that OF
any other nation ON the globe.
Now, gentlemen. to sum up my arguments
think have plainly shown to you that the
English people inherited their seafarrg ma
ture from the Anglo-Saxons. have shown to
you that many of the laws which were IN ms nse
during Angin-SaXon supremacy are still the
same in England aud that many Of the laws
on the statute book OF England to-day are
written in AnVlo-SaXon. / have shown you
that the English Parliament, the great body
Of law makers of England, Is OF Anglo-Saxon
origin. Also, that the English prime minis
ter was introduced by the Anglo-Snxons, and,
lastly, but among the greatest Of all, the An
glo-SaXons were the originators Of the present
Jury system, the greatest form Of trial known
to The civilized world.
With these remarks. honorable judges, !
leave my side OF the question with you.